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Teaching at the University Level

Teaching at the University Level is a four-day intensive workshop designed for new faculty members with less than five years of teaching experience. The goal of the program is to strengthen instructors' skills in student-centred teaching through evidence-based, practical opportunities for teaching practice. Participants facilitate three, 10-minute lessons that provide them with an opportunity to try out new teaching techniques and receive feedback on the way in which they explain complex concepts, describe assignments or facilitate discussion. Participants successfully completing the entire four-day program will receive (i) a video recording of their three presentations, and (ii) a certificate of completion that is internationally recognized.

Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, successful participants will be able to:

design well organized lessons
employ active learning strategies that align with learning outcomes
apply classroom assessment techniques
provide constructive feedback
critically reflect on their own teaching.

What to expect

The workshop runs from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm daily with homework each night - preparation of a new 10 minute mini-lesson for the following day. Please clear your schedule for the duration of the 4 days.

Upcoming Session

August 17-20, 2026 (Registration is now closed)

Offered

Annually in mid-August.

Audience

New and/or experienced Western instructors, librarians, and archivists from all disciplinary backgrounds.

Prerequisites / Recommended Preparation

Participants must prepare a ten minute lesson for days 2, 3 and 4 of the workshop.

Anti-requisites

This program is a 4-day version of the Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW). We do not recommend registering for this course on Teaching at the University Level if you have participated in an Instructional Skills Workshop at Western or at another institution within the past 5 years.

Completion Requirements

To receive the certificate of completion, faculty must participate in all four days of the program (7 hours each day), complete all three mini-lesson presentations, and provide thoughtful feedback to peers in their group.

Applies to following certificate

Faculty Certificate in Teaching Excellence

Research on impact

The impact of the Instructional Skill Workshop on faculty approaches to teaching (HEQCO Research Report, 2013)

Testimonials from past participants

"…I became more student-centred…today we had a really good discussion but we just covered one-fifth of what I thought we would cover – I found that when it's more student-centred, then we go for the quality rather than quantity, but when it's more teacher-centred, it's quantity maybe over quality…"